


By Your Side, Always

by asswind



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Basically just cute fluffy shit, Fluff, Guilty Ahsoka, Injured Rex, Nurse Ahsoka, Platonic Romance, They both need a hug and a cuddle, platonic intimacy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-06
Updated: 2020-05-06
Packaged: 2021-03-02 22:14:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,990
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24044221
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/asswind/pseuds/asswind
Summary: Trouble on a Separatist Moon! The Republic has sent a small fleet of Clone Troopers, led by Jedi Padawan Ahsoka Tano and Captain Rex, to infiltrate a hidden Separatist base. Their battle takes a turn for the worst. General Anakin Skywalker and his reinforcements arrive too late and he is forced to make a hard decision. Will Ahsoka and Captain Rex be able to hold their ground until help can arrive?______________AKA Rex gets injured when the battle turns south and Ahsoka is determined to drag him to safety.
Relationships: CT-7567 | Rex/Ahsoka Tano
Comments: 13
Kudos: 151





	By Your Side, Always

_ “Ahsoka, do you copy?”  _

“Anakin!” Ahsoka tapped her coms link. “We’re being overwhelmed. We need backup now!” She ducked behind the rubble of one of their many transport ships that had crash landed smack dab in the center of the battle. She peeked over the rubble. The firefight was blinding and she knew that her men were in trouble. 

_ “There’s an electricity storm brewing in the atmosphere. I don’t think I’ll be able to safely send you backup until it passes _ .” Ahsoka tipped her head to the sky. He was right. There was no way they’d be able to get any transports down to them in time.

“Understood, Master,” she sighed. “We’ll do our best to hold out. For now.”

_ “I’m sorry, Snips. You’re on your own on this one.”  _ The line fizzled out.

Ahsoka felt her heart sink. There had already been too many casualties. How were they supposed to hold out for a couple more hours? With a deep breath of concentration, she pushed away from the rubble and back into the field. She spotted Rex in the center of it all, fighting with his men, struggling to push the line forward because of their declining numbers. Ahsoka heard the sound of cannons priming and saw that the line of them behind enemy lines was preparing to strike. 

“Rex, the cannons!” Ahsoka darted to Rex and managed to tackle him to safety before the cannons let loose. They took cover behind a barricade as the cannon fire rattled the earth beneath them and sent shrapnel soaring into the air.

“Are you alright, Commander?” Rex shouted over the chaos. 

“I’m fine. We need to retreat!” Ahsoka ordered. “There’s no backup coming.”

They made eye contact briefly, studying the worry in one another, before Rex gave a nod and sent out the call to his troops. After they were sure that they were clear of the cannons, Rex and Ahsoka bolted from their cover, yelling for their men to follow suit. They began to fall back into the deep forest from where they had entered the field, but as they breached the trees Ahsoka heard the familiar sound of the cannons charging. The last thing she remembered was the deafening sound of crashing trees and the bright flash of cannon fire.

_________________

Ahsoka suddenly forced her eyes open in a panic and sucked in a dusty, ragged breath of air. She first noticed the menacing silence that clung to the air. Secondly, her skull felt as if it had been smashed in a vice. Bracing her head, she weakly pushed herself up and surveyed the area around her. They had hardly made it into the forest before the cannons had gone off, destroying the trees and causing their collapse. She saw many pieces of armor buried beneath the decimated trees. The silence sent a distressing chill down her spine and caused her breath to catch in her chest, realizing that her men were most likely lost.  _ Rex. _

Ahsoka reached out with the Force to find Rex. He had to be alive; she needed him to be alive. Before she was too heavily focused, the sound of his groaning gave away his position. She whipped around and there he was; left leg pinned beneath a splintered tree trunk. As he regained his consciousness, she could feel his panic begin to set in, the pain of it all hitting him simultaneously. Scrambling to her feet, Ahsoka scurried to his side. 

“Rex, I’m here. I’m gonna get you out of here,” Ahsoka whispered, cautious of ever-listening ears. Rex reached up to rip his helmet from his head, sucking in a gasping heave of a breath. She quickly focused on the tree stump, hand outstretched, and levitated it enough that he was able to scoot out from underneath it. 

“Shit, kid. I think my leg is shot,” Rex huffed, trying to control his breathing as he began to realize the extent of his own injuries. Ahsoka noticed blood had begun to trickle down his breastplate.

“We’ve gotta get out of here before the droids come looking. There should be bacta kits back at the transport ships. Do you think you can walk?” 

“No, but I don’t think you’ll give me another option,” Rex answered, begrudgingly.

“Damn right I won’t.” Ahsoka slipped her arm under his shoulder and helped him steady himself against her. He gave out a muffled grunt as he gained some balance, and the pair were off, limping towards their abandoned ships. 

_________________

Ahsoka propped Rex up against the metal wall of the transport ship as she lowered and sealed the doors. He was barely holding onto consciousness from the excruciating pain of his shattered leg. After ripping the bacta kit from the wall, Ahsoka hovered over Rex and immediately injected him with a stim directly above his left knee. He gave a sigh of mild relief as his pain began to lessen. 

“Rex, you’re bleeding. I’m going to have to take off your breastplate.” Ahsoka gently lowered him down flat to the cold ground and began undoing the latches to his armor. She peeled off the top of his breastplate to reveal that his tight black undershirt had a large gash that exposed his abdomen. She recognized that most of the bleeding had stopped, but the wound would need to be cleaned. She made quick work of ripping his undershirt open so she could fit the large bacta pad onto his side. Once it was attached, Ahsoka watched the tension in Rex’s body begin to melt; his eyebrows unfurling and his face softening.

“Thank you, Ahsoka,” he murmured. He weakly reached for her small hand that was still on his chest and gave it a light squeeze and he let the peaceful darkness finally take him.

_________________

As the adrenaline began to wear off, Ahsoka suddenly found herself drowning in anxiousness as she poured over the events of the battle. They were unprepared and had underestimated the number of droids predicted. The Separatists had bested them and wiped out the majority of their troops. Now they were stranded on a Force-forsaken Separatist moon. Worst of all, in all of this she could’ve lost Rex. It was at that moment that she realized she was still holding his calloused hand tightly against his chest.

The padawan knew how dangerous attachments were to the Jedi; how they created weakness where there should be strength and sound judgement. She watched both of her Masters struggle with their own personal battles with weakness, especially Anakin. But as she peered down at Rex’s peaceful, sleeping face, she couldn’t help but be consumed with admiration. She had never seen him sleep like this, up close and peaceful, let alone seen him without his armor. He was handsome and chiseled. He wore the body of a soldier well. She felt a deep blush creep up her neck and hurriedly shook it away.

Ahsoka finally heard the pelting of rain onto the metal roof of the ship and the echoes of thunder looming above. The storm was raging around them and all she wanted to do what get Rex to safety. She wondered how long it would be until he storm would pass and Anakin was able to send in reinforcements. She tapped her com link, voicing a distress call, but was met with nothing but static from the other end. Defeated, she finally dragged herself up against the ship wall. 

The sudden drop in temperature had her wishing she had brought her cloak with her. As Ahsoka shivered she eyed the sleeping man beside her, pondering. Cautiously, she lifted Rex’s limp head onto her lap and immediately felt the heat his body provided. He was like a toasty, weighted blanket of relief that shrouded her from her growing worries. Rex’s breathing was steady and shallow as he rested against her. Ahsoka found herself bringing her hand to his bleached scalp, calmingly stroking his soft buzzed hair. She knew that this was forbidden territory, but it brought her peace to know that he was safe with her, for now.

He had always protected her, no matter the cost. Whether it was by her side in battle or from a careful distance, he was always watching over his young Commander. She had also been privy to the cautious looks he’d give his fellow Clones as he watched them eye her hungrily in the barracks. Ever protective and always vigilant, he was. Now, it was her chance to protect him.

Ahsoka sat there, propped against the wall, studying Rex’s relaxed face for what seemed to be an eternity. Rain continued to hammer onto the ship. It was the only sound that filled the space besides Rex’s soft breathing. Soon, he finally began to stir. He gave a deep hum as he slowly came to, dipping his head toward Ahsoka’s stomach. Quickly, she removed her hand from his hair, not wanting the evidence of her adoration to linger. His voice rumbled through his body as he spoke.

“You don’t have to stop, you know.” Rex gave Ahsoka a weak smirk and finally opened his eyes. His gentle brown eyes greeted hers and she guessed he could read the surprise on her face. “It helps.”

Ahsoka only smiled and willingly returned her fingers to his hair, massaging softly as he hummed in pleasure. 

“How’s the pain, Captain?” Ahsoka asked.

“Trying not to think about it much, kid.” He lifted his head briefly to assess the damage but only fell back into her lap, defeated. “I’m not sure how we’re going to get out of here.”

“Anakin said they’d send troops once the storm passes. We’re just going to have to wait it out, I’m afraid,” Ahsoka sighed, leaning her head against the wall with a thunk. For a moment, they just laid there in silence, listening to the thunder and enjoyed the newfound small intimacy they shared.

“You fought well out there, Commander. There was nothing more that you could’ve done,” Rex said, staring intently at Ahsoka. He saw the tears that began to gather in the corners of her eyes and felt the shakiness of the breath she drew in. Her eyes darted around the room dismissively. 

“This was my mission, Rex. Mine. It was my decision to only take a small battalion. It was me who put these men in danger, and now…,” Ahsoka choked on her sob and closed her eyes to the world. She felt so ashamed of the chaos she had brought down upon her men and now they were gone.

“Hush,” Rex whispered as he craned his arm to rest his hand upon her tear-stained cheek. “Those men would die for you a hundred times over again. They were proud to fight with you; for you. As am I.”

Ahsoka finally released a small sob as she cradled his warm hand closer. They sat there together and she silently wept for her men. Rex did nothing but stroke the tears away from her cheeks as she gave into her own pain. When she opened her eyes again, she found Rex still gazing up at her. 

“I’m so glad I didn’t lose you, too,” Ahsoka said and she smoothed her hand across his scalp once again. “I’d be so lost without you by my side. Always.” It felt almost like a confession. They both knew it to be the truth, but hearing her vocalize it stirred something in the air. Ahsoka turned into Rex’s palm and placed a lingering soft kiss against his fingertips. He closed his eyes to the sensation, drinking it in, for he knew not when he would get a chance to be with Ahsoka like this again. The pair lay there on the cold floor of the abandoned ship soaking in the closeness that each of them so desperately craved, awaiting their rescue and dreading the moment they must let go of one another.


End file.
